“Take home these two operatic masterpieces, written by an award winning team: George Benjamin (music and conductor), Martin Crimp (text), and Katie Mitchell (director).
Written on Skin – A ‘magic and irresistible’ opera, telling the story of a boy asked to create a book to celebrate the life of a powerful Protector.
Lessons in Love and Violence – Inspired by the life of Edward II and Piers Gaveston, this opera explores how personal relationships can have fatal political consequences.”
George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Opera Recording.
I would like to congratulate my LILAV colleagues on the nomination and wish them all the best of luck for the results at the Award Ceremony next week (Monday 27th January)!
“Well known haute-contre tenor Samuel Boden gives us a lesson in phrasing, with the usual elegance ..”
Forum Opera, 21 November 2019
George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence has been nominated for an Olivier Award in the category Best New Opera Production.
This darkly dramatic new opera was a major event in contemporary music – the latest collaboration between composer George Benjamin and playwright Martin Crimp. Conducted by Benjamin, the world premiere of Lessons in Love and Violence took place at the Royal Opera House in May 2018 and starred an internationally renowned cast including baritone Stéphane Degout as King Edward II, soprano Barbara Hannigan as Queen Isabel, baritone Gyula Orendt as Gaveston, tenor Peter Hoare as Mortimer and Samuel Boden as Boy / Young King.
Following the release of Arcangelo’s latest CD ‘John Blow (1649-1708) – An Ode on the Death of Mr Henry Purcell & other works‘ it has been featured as Disc of the Week on Andrew McGregor’s Record Review programme on BBC Radio 3.
The original broadcast took place on 21st October 2017 but is available on iPlayer until 30th December 2017.
I am pleased to share the release date of a new Arcangelo CD recording to which I contributed: John Blow (1649-1708) – An Ode on the Death of Mr Henry Purcell & other works. It is one of the few occasions when the Ode has been recorded with two high tenors, as Purcell had originally intended, rather than with countertenors, as is more common today. We performed this wonderful and unique piece as part of the Les Arts Florissants’ “Dans Les Jardins de William Christie” festival in Thiré, France in 2014.
Directed by Jonathan Cohen, with Thomas Walker and myself as the tenor soloists, it is “an album of music for the connoisseur – of extraordinary singing as much as of the English Baroque repertoire. This wonderful recital ranges widely across Blow’s vocal and instrumental music, Arcangelo again demonstrating their versatility in repertoire which will be a real discovery for many.”
The CD will be released by Hyperion Records on 29 September and is available now for pre-order on iTunes.
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